New member, new pickup questions!!

[Johtosotku]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Luke, I think I'll stay with A5 pups now, maybe a ceramic in the bridge. Thanks for your help so far. If you can think of something more, I'll appreciate it.

Lightning, I don't know what to think. You've cleared some technical things about pickups, which I'm very grateful for. I don't have that many pickups to change coils around, but I'll try them in the future. I like the JB in the dinky very much now, so I think I'll leave the JB there and out of the SG. Maybe a mistake I regret later, the JB seems to be a good choice for an SG, but I want to try something else now. Post the clip if you can and don't mind.

Thank you for all your tips. I don't know if the DD has too much highs and not enough lows for me, and none of the SD neck pickups seem to have enough mids for me. We'll see what happens, at least the SC business seems clear.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Alot of guys like the Custom in their SGs. It is not as high output as the DD but has good mids and is nice and crunchy.

Luke

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Thanks Luke. I find the custom to be the most pleasing sounding pickup for me in the SD soundclips. I've been thinking about this very much lately, and I've come to the conclusion that I have to decide between

1: Duncan Customb/???n

and

2: ToneZoneb/PAFPron

And I'm not too sure yet. I guess I'll have to start just somewhere.

 

[Luke Duke]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

With a5 mags in the neck I'd say go with the Jazz or 59. The 59 is a copy of a 59 PAF with a scooped mid whereas the jazz is a slightly higher output (250 ohms) but has more mids (not much but some) and highs. I think it would sound great in an SG.

Luke

 

[Lightning]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

I've had a few so drinks but...look the fact that you have 400 series pickups establishes that you are F spaced. Personally I like the pole spacing to be less than the bridge spacing. Bend strings and do your own measurements. Original Gibson's around 47mm, SDs 49mm and your at 50 and 52mm with your 400s.

To me perfect spacing is bridge pickup 2mm less than the bridge it self. The neck 2mm less than bridge. Since you do not have an ABR bridge IMO your safe talking any SD pickup.

Changing subjects lets take the WCR Fillmore set for example. 10k #43 neck and 13.25k #43 bridge. Each pick up sounds great on it's own but I don't think they balance well. The Fillmore neck is similar to the SD Screaming Demon. If you don't think that's radical enough the DD neck is a #43 at 12.7 ohms.

Bottom line if you go with a Custom type bridge stick with a vintage neck (your 490 is as close to a Seth as your going to get with out buying a Seth...and there are a list of Seth perks) , if you go with the higher out put bridge (JB, DD, TZ, etc.) you could experiment with a Screaming Demon, Fred, or DD neck. Speaking all full humbucker modes here...my favorite single coil neck is a single coil of a JB.

The big question: If you want to try the next smaller gauge wire (cause you do not like the 498), how much DC resistance do you add to equal the output of the larger wire that you were dissatisfied with in order to get equal or greater output (assuming this is a tone quest and your not just throwing darts like wining the lottery).

Please don't take me as rude...I'm not splitting hairs as referring to pickups of the same DC resistance, debating the glassiness of random fed VS machine feed winding.

Neither is Luke Duke. I kind of bailed out of this thread cause his advice is good. It works…mine creates holes…how many of us are cross familiar with the DMZ counter parts?

Your thread has caused be to realize the DMZ with the help of Vai is getting in to this SD ignored area.

You are at the pinnacle...the C5 is an over wound 498. Is that what you want? The JB is what you like...but...
can you explain the difference between the 498 and the JB that you want?

The neck pickup is predicated on this, if your looking for a generic neck pickup. When I first got on the forum I was trying to match bridge pickups with neck pickups, then I changed where I was trying to match neck pickups to bridge pickups, now I'm back trying to match neck pickups with bridge pickups (LOL). It's just easier to find neck pickups that I like than bridge pickups.

The last thing that you will get from me is a one answer solution. I do not sell pickups yet, (I figure I'm about to start winding) but for the lack of the magic pickup.

I do not understand your sonic aspirations for your neck pickup but I think I understand your bridge pickup needs.

Possibly DMZ is already there...I'm still searching, on my own. Somewhere between the Custom types and the JB/DD is the magic pickup. I realize you were just looking for the next pickup to try...but bottom line I think you should put a JB in your SG and reserve a little post Xmas true up (with your parents) for an a2 mag.

 

[Lightning]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Lew is probably the most experienced here with trying the most pickup combos, he also sells pickups which is kind of a conflict of interest but I've never seen him steer someone wrong for his own gain, I respect his opinion, dude is like a walking encycopidia of who used what pickup. Doc. B is very analytical of pickups, he is good about documenting his results (see tone clips).

The SD tone clips seem as a good intent but with varying amp settings could be leading you astray. Opinions offered here are subjective...just remember as you realize your 2 pickup solution for this Christmas probably will not resolve in a magic pickup...go back to categorizing by wire gauge.

I'm a SD freak due to the quality of the pickups but I've swapped plates (brass vs. Nickel silver) and can tell no difference (both being non ferrous) so am willing to explore DMZs offerings.

 

[Lightning]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Hey, Back on the Fillmore concept, why doesn't anyone make a 9k #43 that would easier balance out with a Custom, FS, or Fillmore bridge?

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

Thanks, Lightning. I'm not looking for a solution for this christmas or getting anything from my parents. I have a deadline soon for other, but very good reasons. (50% off the price, a big deal for me)

When I compare my two guitars, I find 498t to have weak and shrill highs and undefined bass. I think it also needs some more mids, there's so much more feeling in the JB. I like the acoustic sound of my SG very much, but the amplified sound...
The output volume is also more to my liking in the JB, but I'm not sure if I need that much.

I've thought about the differences between DMZ and SD, although I haven't tried them. Changing the JB was my 1st pickup swap. I've also changed a 500t to another guitar, but I sold it long ago. Nothing else.

Overall, I'm not looking for a magic pickup, just a balanced fine sounding set. I've never taken you for rude or been offended by anything you've said. I'm not so technical a person by nature, and there's the language barrier also, so it's sometimes a bit hard for me to understand these things. But I like to think that I have quite good ears. (Btw, I always thought the SD soundclips where made with the exact same amp and guitar settings.)

I think that there may be a hole in the SD line for me, but I'm too inexperienced to say so. Yet. From the soundclips and tone charts; yes, but from experience, not yet.

I think that your answers have been terrific. You have much to say and I look forward to hearing more. Compare that to the people who just name one pickup in a reply and nothing else.

 

[Lightning]

Re: New member, new pickup questions!!

"Btw, I always thought the SD soundclips where made with the exact same amp and guitar settings"

I meant between SDs Marshall and your amp or my amp. When I listen to the sound clips I'm saying to myself (in most cases) okay that eq with more gain. My eq and gain structure are different so I don't get the same results or should I say it didn't go in the direction I thought it would.

I think the sound clips were a good move though, very honest approach, no digital effects, consistency and at the risk of not having the pickup presented in a flashy way as DMZ does with a popular artist playing through his rack. Where's the reference with DMZ?

There is inconsistency within the SD sound clips, listen to the JB bridge dirty, the guy playing doesn't dig in to the riff as strong as he does with the DD and Customs and it makes the JB sound really weak. I wouldn't have bought a JB based on the sound clip yet it is probably my favorite. So how often did that occur?